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Progression in SpaceCraft is built around two systems the developer has confirmed: Permits and Experience. Together they decide what you can build, where you can go, and how you specialize.
Permits
Permits are the primary progression track and are structured as a tech tree: unlocking one permit often opens access to others, gradually adding new crafting recipes, modules, and services. To unlock a permit you meet its prerequisites and pay the required Credits, the standard currency in the game.
The first permit in the tutorial is the Modular Systems permit. It costs 40 Credits and grants the blueprints for the Scanalyzer Alpha and the Small Cargo Hold, along with access to the Shipyard. Deeper ship modification, such as the Assembly and Customization tabs in the ship editor, is itself unlocked through permit progression. See Ship Building.
Early Permit Detail | Value |
|---|---|
First permit | Modular Systems |
Cost | 40 Credits |
Unlocks | Scanalyzer Alpha blueprint, Small Cargo Hold blueprint, Shipyard access |
Structure | Tech tree: one unlock leads to others |
Experience Paths
Alongside permits, characters develop along experience paths. The developer has named four: Exploration, Technology, and Science are implemented in the playtest, and Combat is a planned fourth path that is not implemented yet. Leveling a path takes time, so the developer encourages members of a group to specialize rather than spreading thin.
Path | Focus | Status |
|---|---|---|
Exploration | High-level Explorers can travel farther across the galaxy and reach rarer resources. | Implemented in playtest |
Technology | Skilled Technologists build bigger bases with improved automation. | Implemented in playtest |
Science | Expert Scientists create exotic materials and alloys. | Implemented in playtest |
Combat | Combat-focused progression. | Not implemented yet (planned) |
Why Paths Matter in a Group
Experience paths also feed into Corporations and Co-Op. High-level Explorers let other members travel farther and exploit rarer resources, skilled Technologists are instrumental in completing Corporation Requests, and expert Scientists supply exotic materials useful to everyone. The developer’s phrasing is that a good Corporation is a diverse one, so paths reward a mix of specializations.
Credits and Commissions
Credits are the standard currency used to unlock permits and pay for services. Refining and crafting at a station carry a commission paid to The Company: smelting ore into ingots costs a percentage of the output’s market value, and the Workshop takes a smaller commission that scales with the value of what you craft. See Crafting for the refining chain and Trading and the Player-Driven Economy for how Credits move through the economy.
Subject to Change
Because SpaceCraft is in Early Access and these systems are being tuned through playtesting, exact costs, unlock contents, and path effects can change between updates. The Combat path in particular is planned but not yet in the build.